Feed mechanism



c. c. GRAY T' A1.

Mach 16, 193.7.

FEED MECHANIvSM original Filed may 24, 1930 Patented Mar. 16, 1937 FEEDMECHANISM Carl C. Gray, Minneapolis, and Harry L. Johnson,

St. Paul, Minn.

Original application May- 24, 1930, Serial No. 455,233. Divided and thisapplication October 24, 1932, Serial No. 639,284

Claims. (Cl. E53-44) This invention relates to grain feeding anddistributing mechanism for scalping, cleaning,

` separating or other grain treating machines, and the primary object isto provide such a mecha- 5 nism that is particularly adapted for thepurpose of effecting an even distribution of grain from one source ofsupply, such as a primary treating unit to two or more other units whichare to individually effect secondary treatment at spaced locations.

A further object is to provide means in conjunction with saiddistributing mechanism for imparting a mixing action to the grain priorto distribution thereof, to completely offset or destroy any partialseparation that may have taken place in the grain body as it approachesthe point of distribution, thus insuring the provision of identicalclasses of grain materials to the secondary treating mechanisms. Theseand other more vdetailed and specific objects will be disclosed in thecourse of the following specication, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a grain treating machine showing our improvedfeed and distributor mechanism applied thereto, fractional portions ofthe machine being broken away to economize on space.

Fig. 2

is an enlarged detail elevation ofour improved unit, removed from themachine and with the front cover plate taken off.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3--3 in Fig. 2.

This application is a division of our co-pending application Ser. No.455,233, filed May 24th, 5 1930, now Patent Number 1,966,443, issuedJuly 17, 1934 for `Grain scalping and aspirating machine, and it mayhere be noted that the present Fig. 1, corresponds generally to thestructure shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings in the parent B, C, D,

and E, indicated by dotted lines, and

these may be of any suitable design or character, although they arepreferably identical as to size and structural features with a resultthat it is highly desirable that they be simultaneously provided thatwill with supplies of material to be treated be similar as to volume andnature so that they may function with similar effects and results.

'Ihe units B-E are supplied by pipes .or tubes 4 which communicate,respectively, with spouts 5 ofV a housing 6.

This housing 6 has a front cover plate l, and at its rear, is providedwith a tubular section 8 that supportably connects it to a largerhousing or casing F which encloses the primary treating mechanisms, anda full disclosure of which is presented in the aforementioned parent.application Ser. No. 455,233. It is sufficient here to note that theprimary treating mechanism incorporates a trough 9 which receives theinitially treated grain, and a feed screw I0, mounted on a shaft II, forimpelling or feeding the grain in the trough therefrom and out throughthe tubular member 8 and into the receiving chamber I2 dened by the`upper part of the housing E. The feed screw IIl preferably extendsthrough the member 8, and at its outer end the shaft II is provided withpropeller-like mixing paddles I3.

Short partitions` Ill are disposed between the 1 spouts 5 in the lowerend of the housing 6, and these are arranged to equally divide theheusing, transversely (as in Fig. 2), into receiving openings for therespective spouts 5. Above these partitions, but below the agitator I3,is an inclined gate or retarder plate I5 mounted upon a shaft I5 whichis journaled in the housing 6 vand projects at one end therethrough tosupport a lever arm I'I, normally extending in a horizontal direction.

The arm I1 is provided with a weight I8, tending to press the lower edgeof the gate I5 against the inner wall of the housing, to thereby resist4the downward flow of grain in the chamber I2,

and the weight is preferably adjustable on the arm so that theresistance referred to may be increased or decreased as occasion mayrequire.

The operation of the device may be briefly described as follows:

As the grain delivered from the primary treating mechanism accumulatesin the trough 9 it is gradually delivered therefrom by the action of thefeed screw Ill which impels it through the tubular section 8 and intothe chamber I2 of the housing 6. As the grain is thus conveyed to thechamber I2 it accumulates therein upon the gate I5 until such time asthe pressure upon the gate causes it to open against the resistance ofthe weight I8; and as the gate opens the grain will of course drop downin a curtain-like formation or stream to the spouts 5. Before the gateI5 will open, however, there will be a substantial accumulation of grainin the chamber I2, and this grain is constantly agitated and mixed up bythe action of the mixing or agitating" inembers I3.

These members I3 thus not only tend to thoroughly mix the grain in thechamber I2 so as to counteract any tendency of partial separation underthe action of gravity or otherwise, but will also serve to keep thegrain body spread over the entire length of the gate I5 so that when thelatter does open there will be a uniform ow of grain past the entirelength of its delivery edge, and as a result there will be an equalsupply of material fed to each of the spouts 5 and delivery tubes Il.

In addition to the functions and advantages above referred to it mayalso be noted that the described construction also serves to immediatelycut off the supply of grain to the secondary treating unit B-E as soonas the primary treating mechanism should for any reason be stopped. Inother words, the shaft I I is preferably connected with other parts ofthe primary treating mechanism so as to be operated therewith, andimmediately such primary ltreating mechanism is for any reason stoppedthen the screw I0 and agitator I3 will also be stopped and the grainremaining in the chamber I2 will be held until the upper machine isagain set in motion.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in thestructure as disclosed, provided such modications come within the spiritand scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustratedand described our invention, what we claim to be new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A mechanism of the character described comprising a receiving troughof a primary grain treating mechanism, a chamber arranged at one end ofand communicating with the trough, a conveyor screw in the trough, anagitator in the chamber, a series of outlets at the lower end of thechamber for supplying grain to a series of secondary treatingmechanisms, a yieldably closed retarder plate disposed under theagitator and having a swingable edge cooperating in constant parallelismwith an adjacent chamber part to provide an elongated grain distributingopening above said outlets.

2. A mechanism of the character described comprising a receiving troughof a primary grain treating mechanism, a chamber arranged at one end ofand communicating with the trough, a conveyor screw in the trough, anagitator in the chamber, a series of outlets at the lower end of thechamber for supplying grain to a series of secondary treatingmechanisms, a yieldably closed retarder plate disposed under theagitator and having a swingable edge cooperating in constant parallelismwith an adjacent chamber part to provide an elongated grain distributingopening above said outlets, the lower ends of said chamber havingpartitions dividing it into equal spaces communicating with therespective outlets.

3. In a grain treating machine the combination with a primary graintreating mechanism and a plurality of secondary treating mechanisms, ofa chamber having a plurality of outlets for providing separated suppliesof grain to the respective secondary treating mechanisms, meansconveying a continuous supply of grain from the primary treatingmechanism into the chamber, means in said chamber for affecting an evendistribution of grain therein to each of said outlets, said meansincluding an agitator movable in the grain to prevent a partialseparation of grain in the chamber, and a tiltable plate disposedtransversely in the chamber above the outlets to support a body of thereceived grain above itself and having a swinging edge cooperating toform a variable closure with an adjacent fixed portion of the chamberand movable downwardly to effect a grain discharge opening under theaction of weight pressure by the grain body.

4. A distributor unit for receiving grain from a primary treatingmechanism and delivering it to a series of secondary treatingmechanisms, comprising a housing, a tiltable gate disposed transverselywithin the housing for yieldably supporting a body of grain above andupon itself, an inlet opening above the gate, a feed screw for conveyinggrain through the opening to supply said grain body, a series ofdischarge openings below the gate and communicating separately with therespective secondary treating mechanisms, and an agitator for operationin said grain body above the gate.

5. A distributor unit for receiving grain from a primary treatingmechanism and delivering it to a series of secondary treatingmechanisms, comprising a housing, a horizontally extending tiltable gatein the housing for yieldably supporting a body of grain therein and uponthe plate, an inlet opening above the gate, a series of dischargeopenings below the gate and communicating separately with the respectivesecondary treating mechanisms, a feed member operating in said inletopening, and an agitator for operation in said grain body above thegate, said agitator being an element separate from the feed member butoperated simultaneously therewith.

CARL C. GRAY. HARRY L. JOHNSON.

